Glass-cutter



W. J. MILLER.-

(No Model.)

GLASS CUTTER.

Patented Aug. 11, 1896.

qv'ubmeooao wuewtoz M w r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM JOHN MILLER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

GLASS-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 565,493, dated August 1 1, 1896.

Application filed October 17, 1895. Serial No. 565,991. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that LWVILLIAM JOHN MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Glass-Cutters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to make improvements upon such a glass-cutter as is shown in my Letters Patent of the United States, granted February 20, 1894,No. 515,298.

One of the features of. my present improvements consists in the provision of a rocking guide and means for adjusting the same with respect to the cutter.

A second feature consists in a removable and adjustable wear-plate for the cuttingwheel.

All these and the remaining features of my improvements are described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings referred to, Figure 1 illustrates a view in side elevation of the left-hand side of the instrument, a portion being broken out to show the lower end of the spindle and its bearing. Fig. 2 illustrates a view in side elevation of the right-hand side of the instrument. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the removable block that contains the cutting-wheel; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, also on an enlarged scale, of the lower part of the cutter-holder, illustrating in side view the removable bearing or spindle of the cutting-wheel and the position with respect to the cutting-wheel of the bearing of the spindle upon which the cutter-holder is supported.

Like characters of reference in the different views design ate similar parts.

The character 5 designates the shank, on the upper part of which, and standing at a suitable angle thereto, is fi-Xed a suitablyformed handle 6. The front side of the lower part of the shank has secured. to it a key 7, substantially as shown in my patent hereinbefore referred to.

Eigidly secured in projection 5 on the back of the shank, and standing at a slight incline thereto, is a spindle 8, the lower end of which is tapered to form a pivot 8. Pivotally supported upon this spindle is the knife or cutter holding frame 9, the body of which consists of a metal bar or plate standing parallel with the spindle. The upper end of this frame has an arm or part 9 bent toward the shank and apertured'to receive the upper end of the spindle, which projects therethrough. The lower part of the cutter-holding frame consists of a block 9 the upper and lower faces of which are substantially parallel to each other and to the projection on the back of the shank 5. -The upper side of the block is made with a socket having a conical bearing to receive the lower end of the spindle, and its lower side is made with a tapering dovetailed groove 10 into which fits a correspondingly-shaped tongue 10 on the block 10, containing the cutting-tool. The block 10 is adjustable and fiXable in adjusted position by a set-screw 10. WVhen it is necessary to overcome looseness of the block 10, I insert between the walls of the tongue and groove a small layer of paper or other packing material. The adjustability of the block 10 enables one to vary the position of the cuttingwheel with respect to the pivot, so as to adapt the instrument to varying conditions, as hereinafter set forth.

The bearing for the cutting-wheel is formed of a piece of steel rod 11, bent so as to have two parallel portions or legs, or somewhat the shape of the letter J. The short arm projects through the orifice of the wheel and lies in a groove across the end of the block 10, and the long arm extends through a hole in the block above the bearing and projects considerably beyond the right-hand wall-thereof, so that when the end is pushed back flush with the side of the block the wheel may be removed. This bearing or shaft for the cutting-wheel is held in its place by a setscrew 12, having a notch or recess in the side of its head, (see Fig. 1,) so that when this recess or notch is turned to stand in line with the long arm of the J-shaped piece thelatter may be moved or taken out. v

If desired, the projecting end of the bearing may be bent aside to retain the bearing 1 in place in the block and thus avoid the use of the set-screw 12.

In use the greater wear is 011 the right-hand side of the cutting-wheel, (that is, of course, when the operator is right-handed,) and in cutters furnished for right-handed workmen I place a small wear-plate 13 on the righthand side of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 4. For left-handed workmen the whole tool, as well as the wear-plate, is reversed. The upper end of this wear-plate is beveled or inclined and acts upon a correspondinglyshaped seat in the block. The wear both of the plate and of the wheel is compensated for by thin layers of paper or other packing material 13. The front edge of this wear-plate also acts as a stop for and takes the wear of the guide.

The spindle 8 is surrounded by a coil-sprin g 14, which is made fast to the spindle at its lower end and secured to the arm 9 at its upper end. The tendency of this spring is to throw the arm 9 against the shank, which acts as a stop. The arm stands at such an angle or is so constructed that when in contact with the shank the tool-block does'not quite lie in the plane of the shank and key, as indicated in the drawings.

The character 15 designates the patternguide. It consists of a long cylindrical pin having at its lower end a foot standing at about a right angle to the pin. This foot is provided with a notch properly rounded on its guiding-surfaces, so as not to abrade or roughen the edge of the paper pattern. The pin is shown to be supported at its lower part in an adjustable eye 17 on block 9 and at its upper end in an orifice in the arm 9, so as to be both rotatable and longitudinally movable therein. A light coil-spring surrounds the pin and is fastened at its lower end conveniently by soldering it into a groove on the outside of the eye 17, and at its upper end to the pin itself preferably also by soldering. The spring is so fastened as to normally hold the foot at right angles to the cutter.

The eye 17 has a shank or pin 17, that passes transversely through the block 9 into which is threaded a set-screw 17 to engage said pin, so that the guide may be adjusted to different positions with respect to the cutter as circumstances may require.

From an examination of Fig. 1 it will be observed that the pivotal point of the toolholder frame is forward of the axis of the cutting-wheel, and from aninspection of Fig. 4 it will be noticed that the pivotal point is to the right of the plane of the cutting edge, so that the wheel in a sense trails when drawn in the act of cutting and is at the same time impelled toward the pattern. As the natural tendency of the operator in pattern-cutting is to turn the handle inward, the spring on the spindle tends to hold the guide against the pattern and to cause the cutter automatically to follow the contour thereof.

In the use of my instrument the operator will unconsciously acquire the habit of placing the instrument upon the glass a little in front of the point where he begins to cut, and the foot of the guide will serve to steady the instrument preparatory to positioning it for cutting. In moving the instrument backward from the operator the foot turns on its axis and drags until the point to begin the cut is reached. "When this point is reached, the spring, together with the forward or return movement of the instrument, turns the notch of the foot onto the edge of the pattern and the wheel is pressed down to make the out.

In so-calle( straigllt edge cutting the block serves as the guide for the wheel, and for this purpose the left side of the block is slightly protruding, as shown at 20, in front of the wheel. As the pivotal point is forward of and to the right of the cutting-wheel and the protruding surface on the block forward of the axis of the wheel, the latter is trailed, and there is consequently no tendency of the wheel to digress from the guiding contour, and the slight necessary crowding of the protruding surface of the block against the guiding contour tends to draw the wheel properly on the plane of its cutting edge and parallel to the guiding contour. \Vhere a tool is to be used for this so-callec straight-edge cutting only, the pattern-guide 15 can therefore be omitted, nor would the spring on the pivot-pin be necessary; but when this spring is omitted means will be provided for holding the cutter-carrying frame slightly rockingly with respect to the shank.

The placing of the tool-holder in a plane at a slight angle to the key allows the operator a suliicient amount of freedom as to the position of his hand. I11 other words, he is not compelled to maintain a uniform position of his hand with respect to the contour followed.

It may also be stated that the position of the pivot with respect to the wheel,- as hereinbefore described in connection with the stop 9, insures the necessary rigidity of the tool-holdin g frame in free-hand cutting.

In describing the particular embodiment of my improvement as illustrated in the annexed drawings I do not wish it to be understood that I limit myself to the particular form or construction of parts shown, because it is obvious that they are susceptible of considerable variation without departure from the scope of my invention.

Instead of making the lower part of the tool-holding frame in two parts, as shown at 9 and 10 they may be made in one, and the lateral adjustment of the wheel dispensed with.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a glass-cutter, the combination with the shank of a handle, of a rocking cutterholding frame, and an independent]y-rocking pattern-guide.

2. In a glass-cutter, the combination with the shank of a handle, of a rocking cutterholding frame, and a pattern-guide attached to and rocking upon the rocking cutter-holding frame.

3. In a glass-cutter, the combination with the shank of a handle, of a cutter-holding frame, a spring and stop for elastically holding the same in position with respect to the shank, and a guide With a spring for elastically holding it in position with respect to the cutter.

4. In a glass-cutter of the kind described, an independently rocking pattern guide rocking in a plane coincident or parallel with that of the work, and means for adjusting the same laterally with respect to the cutting- Wheel, substantially as set forth.

5. In a glass-cutter,a cutting-wheel,a holder therefor, a wear-plate at the side of said Wheel having its upper edge beveled, and a correspondingly-beveled seat for said wearplate, whereby the same may be adjusted, substantially as described.

6. In a glass-cutter, a rocking cutter-hold ing frame and cutter therein, and a pivot for supporting said frame engaging the same in front of the axis of the cutter.

7. In a glass-cutter, a rocking cutter-holding frame and cutter therein, a pivot for supporting said frame engaging the same in front of the axis of the cutter and to one side of the plane of the cutting edge, and a protuberance on the cutter-holding block in front of the axis of the wheel and on the opposite side of the cutting edge.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM JOHN MILLER.

Witnesses:

GEo. M. FINCKEL, L. P. MCCULLOUGH. 

